Press releases

Newco Lux-on created by Bio-on, alongside Gruppo Hera, to develop a revolutionary technology to produce biopolymers from CO2 (carbon dioxide). Newco Lux-on created by Bio-on, alongside Gruppo Hera, to develop a revolutionary technology to produce biopolymers from CO2 (carbon dioxide). Following 2 years of research by Bio-on scientists working in Italy and USA, the new technology uses CO2 freely available in the atmosphere as a carbon source to produce 100% natural and biodegradable bioplastic. CO2 is added to the other "raw materials" already used to make Bio-on bioplastic: sugar beet and sugar cane molasses, fruit and potato waste, carbohydrates, glycerol and waste frying oil. Using CO2 will also help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Lux-on's bioplastic production will rely solely on renewable solar energy and, thanks to a hydrogen energy management system, will run 24/7. Bio-on, a leader in the high quality bioplastic sector, and Gruppo Hera, one of Italy's largest multi-utility providers, have reached an agreement to take 90% and 10% shares respectively (with the possibility of Hera increasing its share to 49.9%) in LUX-ON, the new company founded by Bio-on aiming to revolutionise the production of PHAs biopolymers using CO2 captured from the atmosphere and producing energy without using fossil fuels. The new technology developed by Bio-on envisages using carbon dioxide as a zero cost "raw material", in addition to those already used to produce Bio-on bioplastic: sugar beet and sugar cane molasses, fruit and potato waste, carbohydrates, glycerol and waste frying oil. Using CO2 will also help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The laboratories and first plant of the new Lux-on project will be built by the end of 2019 close to the Bio-on Plants industrial facility at Castel San Pietro Terme (Bologna). It will be designed entirely by Bio-on technicians in collaboration with Hera, with carbon capture plants and a production facility using renewable solar energy. The development of the technology will be aided by the fact that many of the principles and equipment used in the standard technology can also be used in Lux-on's new production systems. This is why the development and pre-industrial phase will be much faster than usual. The plant will occupy an area of 1,500 m2, 600 m2 of which is covered, and will have a flexible production capacity that is rapidly expandable. The electric energy used in Lux-on's innovative production process will be produced by photovoltaic systems which, aside from directly powering production, will also provide storable energy for nocturnal power (24/7 production). For energy storage, partnerships will be entered into with international experts in hydrogen (H) technology. Hydrogen, a nonpolluting gas, will be produced from solar energy, stored and then converted to electric energy to power the plant hen the solar panels are not running, i.e. at night or when light levels are poor. "We are extremely pleased to work with HERA," explains Bio-on S.p.A. Chairman and CEO Marco Astorri. "The great technological innovation used at Lux-on enables us to increase the industrial sustainability of a new production concept. We are particularly proud to realise humanity's dream to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and produce innovative materials like our PHAs biopolymer. We are ready to face this new challenge, which will further extend our client base in the coming years, consolidating Italy's global leadership in high quality biopolymer production." Following a year of major agreements, fast-growing company Bio-on, is set to begin 2019 with new strategic projects,including its collaboration with Hera. The agreement also envisages a second development line aimed at identifying sustainable by-products for biopolymer production. Renamed PHA-CEL by Hera, this consists in transforming cutting and pruning cellulose into simple sugars that can then be used in fermentation following an enzymatic treatment. This process is made possible by the treatment technology, developed by Gruppo Hera, which is also assessing how to apply it to biogas and biomethane production from cuttings and prunings. All the PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) developed by Bio-on are made from renewable plant sources with no competition with food supply chains, and from CO2 in the coming years. They can replace a number of conventional polymers currently made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons; they guarantee the same thermomechanical properties as conventional plastics with the advantage of being completely eco-sustainable and 100% naturally biodegradable. The agreement between the two companies has come out of a highly dynamic territory that represents the technological cutting edge in Italy to be exported around the world. "For Gruppo Hera, which uses innovation and sustainability as the foundations of its multi-utility business," explained Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive President of Gruppo Hera, "taking a share in the new company founded by Bio-on is the representation of a natural coming together of intentions and an alliance that we believe can be developed successfully beyond our territory and across various sectors. With the breadth and quality of our services, this agreement will give further, fundamental green credentials to a project like Lux-on, which aims to change the bioplastics world, not to mention the joint commitment to transform cuttings and prunings. Considering that Hera collects 200 thousand tons of cuttings and prunings every year, which can be transformed into bioplastic using our technology, this sector has huge growth potential." Further technical information is available in a video at: www.lux-on.com Gruppo Hera It is one of Italy's largest multi-utility providers working in Environment (waste collection and treatment), Energy (electricity and gas distribution and sale) and Water (waterworks, sewers and purification). The Group employs over 9,000 people and works every day to meet the many and varied needs of over 4.4 million citizens. It serves over 350 local municipalities mainly in the Emilia Romagna, Marche, Tuscany, Abruzzo, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Bio-on S.p.A. Bio-on S.p.A., an Italian Intellectual Property Company (IPC), operates in the bioplastic sector conducting applied research and development of modern bio-fermentation technologies in the field of eco-sustainable and completely naturally biodegradable materials. In particular, Bio-on develops industrial applications through the creation of product characterisations, components and plastic items. Since February 2015, Bio-on S.p.A. has also been operating in the development of natural and sustainable chemicals for the future. Bio-on has developed an exclusive process for the production of a family of polymers called PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) from agricultural waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar beet syrups). The bioplastic produced in this way is able to replace the main families of conventional plastics in terms of performance, thermo-mechanical properties and versatility. Bio-on PHAs is a bioplastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable: this has been certified by Vincotte and by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). The Issuer's strategy envisages the marketing of licenses for PHAs production and related ancillary services, the development of R&D (also through new collaborations with universities, research centres and industrial partners), as well as the realisation of industrial plants designed by Bio-on. CS_69_BIO_ON_10_12_2018_final_E.1544431372.pdf 2018-12-10 08:00:12 lux_on_110x150.1544432143.jpg 2018-12-10

The tender, worth 28.5 million euro, was awarded to a temporary association headed by the Hera Group, Italy's leader in waste treatment. Work will begin in 2019 and will lead to an overall redevelopment of the port area, with new quays constructed using inert materials deriving from reclaimed areas previously containing landfills. The tender, worth 28.5 million euro, was awarded to a temporary association headed by the Hera Group, Italy's leader in waste treatment. Work will begin in 2019 and will lead to an overall redevelopment of the port area, with new quays constructed using inert materials deriving from reclaimed areas previously containing landfills. Undertaking significant reclamation works in the Chioggia port area, redeveloping it and thus bringing it back to life. This is the commitment that brought a temporary association of businesses led by Herambiente, a Hera Group company and the country's foremost operator in the waste treatment sector, to be awarded a public tender for the reclamation of strategic areas linked to this important seaport. The tender, amounting to 28.5 million euro, was announced by A.S.Po, Azienda Speciale del Porto di Chioggia, owned by the Venice-Rovigo Chamber of Commerce. The technical partners included in the temporary association are CGX Costruzioni Generali Xodo Srl, Idea Srl and Rossi Renzo Costruzioni Srl, all companies located in the Veneto region. The tender contract, which launches the works, was signed this morning by Damaso Zanardo, chairman of A.S.Po, and Andrea Ramonda, Herambiente CEO. More specifically, the works will begin in 2019 and will involve a general redevelopment of some areas of the fluvial-maritime terminal in Val da Rio di Chioggia. On the one hand, an area of 6 hectares will be reclaimed, which from 1961 to 1984 had been used as a landfill for solid waste produced in the municipality of Chioggia. This operation is strategic for the entire area, since the tender, in line with the principles of a circular economy and the many senses in which the Hera Group works towards it, also calls for inert materials to be recovered. Coming to 80% of the total waste, these materials will be used to create some of the port's quays, thus increasing the project's overall sustainability. In this way, all of Herambiente's know-how regarding reclamation is made available to the Chioggia area, this being a field in which the company belonging to the Hera Group can boast a large amount of experience and extremely high quality and safety standards. Its research, analyses and projects allow the parameters of each and every intervention to be clearly defined. Herambiente's reclamation department, from this point of view, offers an integrated service that in every phase of the process guarantees full respect for the environment, for current regulations and, to be sure, for the basic principles of a circular economy. "To reclaim an area", explains Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group, "a significant amount of knowledge, resources and professional skills is required. Acting through Herambiente, we are proud to be able put all of this to the service of Chioggia. Our goal is to work towards an overall redevelopment of the port area, taking one specific step at a time, as defined by in-depth studies of the context in which we are about to operate. Moreover, the Adriatic coastline is an area we prize highly and on which we have done a great deal of work, not only in the Veneto region but also in Emilia-Romagna and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The experience we have accumulated will allow us to apply to Chioggia as well a model that is able to guarantee a high degree of efficiency and environmental and economic sustainability." "The deal signed, intensely pursued by the Board, is fundamental in giving new impetus to the Chioggia seaport as a Commercial, Fluvial, Maritime and Tourist Port", comments Damaso Zanardo, chairman of A.S.Po Chioggia. "It will give continuity to the marketing initiatives we have launched in the last few months, demonstrating both how attractive this port is and that a few initial, concrete signs can now be seen that the international economic crisis is being overcome. The professional skills possessed by a group such as Hera, Italy's leader in waste treatment, guarantees that the operation will be carried out with high levels of quality, efficiency and environmental sustainability". CS_69_BIO_ON_10_12_2018_final_E.1544517804.PDF 2018-12-07 12:28:00 Herambiente si aggiudica la bonifica del porto di Chioggia 2018-12-07

The remaining 51% of the company, headquartered in Atessa (Chieti) and providing natural gas sales to approximately 7,000 customers, has now been purchased. The transaction, completed under the same terms as the first stage of the acquisition as finalised last March, allows the Group to further consolidate its presence and local roots in Abruzzo. The Hera Group, through its subsidiary Hera Comm, has acquired the remaining 51% of Sangroservizi form the Municipalities of Atessa, San Vito Chietino and Paglieta, reaching a 100% shareholding. The transaction was carried out under the same terms as the first stage of the acquisition, completed on 20 March 2018. Established in 2003 and legally headquartered in Atessa, Sangroservizi is a company operating in natural gas sales with roughly 7,000 customers. This transaction follows up on the acquisitions of Fucino Gas, Alento Gas, Julia Servizi Più, Gran Sasso,Verducci Servizi, Enerpeligna and Blu Ranton over the last three years, thanks to which the Hera Group has become a reference operator for the Abruzzo and nearby Marche regions. The company already provides electricity and gas services to over 250,000 customers in these areas. Hera thus continues to develop a model that brings the local, material presence typical of smaller companies together with the potential for innovation in services and offers and the competitiveness ensuing from being part of a Group that is among the major players in Italy's energy market. "We are glad to welcome Sagroservizi's customers, confirming our commitment to a maintained presence in this area", remarks Cristian Fabbri, Hera Comm CEO. "In the upcoming months, we will gradually introduce numerous new services and new offers for gas. Furthermore, it will become possible quite soon to choose offers for electricity supply and services aimed at saving energy and optimising energy and gas management. We are at work every day to offer a service ever more closely tailored to the needs of our most demanding customers". Nuova_Palazzina_1_870x.1533219432.jpg Hera Group acquires 100% of Sangroservizi Read more 20181126_comunicato_su_acquisizione_Sangroservizi_ok_eng.1543238511.pdf 2018-11-26 12:48:00 Hera acquires 2.5% of Ascopiave's share capital from Amber Hera Group acquires 100% of Sangroservizi 2018-03-09

This partnership will allow the oil collected by Hera (800 tons in 2017) to be converted into Eni Green Diesel at Eni's Venice bio-refinery. The environmental benefits are significant, with a reduction of up to 40% in polluting emissions. Bologna, 23 November 2018 - Eni and Hera are two companies that have long been committed to promoting a circular economy model by continuously developing the technology and organization of their businesses. Today they signed a partnership agreement with the aim of converting used vegetable oil into biofuel for Hera's waste collection vehicles. The agreement revolves around household waste vegetable oil, such as that used for frying, collected by Hera in around 400 roadside containers and about 120 collection centres. It will be sent to the Eni bio-refinery in Porto Marghera, Venice. This is the first oil refinery in the world to be converted into a bio-refinery for the production of Green Diesel, a completely renewable product that accounts for 15% of Enidiesel+. This biofuel will power Hera's urban waste collection vehicles. During an initial phase, Enidiesel+ will be used by around thirty large vehicles in the Modena area to test and optimise the fuel's environmental benefits. The deal signed today extends the already thriving virtuous circle Eni has established with multi-utility companies in Turin, Venice and Rome. Results from tests have shown major benefits in terms of air quality, the economy and industry. Compared to conventional diesel, Enidiesel+ features a renewable component that reduces polluting emissions by up to 40%, consumption by about 4% and engine maintenance costs. These metrics be monitored by both companies in collaboration with the Institute for Engines (Istituto Motori) at the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). To further support of the initiative, Hera has decided to boost the roadside collection of vegetable oil by introducing 300 new dedicated containers in the areas in which it operates. In 2017 alone, 800 tons of waste vegetable oil were collected, recovered and processed for use either as lubricants or energy. This service is increasingly comprehensive. It also provides an incentive to properly recycle waste oil and also works to prevent behaviour such as pouring oil down the sink, which damages household plumbing and water treatment plants. "The refinery in Venice is the first in the world to be converted into a bio-refinery and will be joined in a few months by the Gela refinery, which is also being calibrated for the bio-cycle," commented Giuseppe Ricci, Eni Chief Refining & Marketing Officer. "Eni has begun the journey towards an energy transition that envisages an increasingly important role for biofuels in the process of decarbonising our planet. The agreement with Hera adds a significant component to our concrete commitment to the circular economy and reinforces the use of waste, specifically cooking oil, as an important raw material for producing the innovative fuel Enidiesel+ and as a replacement for the edible raw materials that are currently used. As a result of the initiatives and deals that Eni has developed following the agreement with CONOE (National Consortium for the Collection and Treatment of Used Oils and Fats) and its individual members, more than 50% of the cooking oil collected in Italy is now converted into biofuel at the Venice bio-refinery, with clear benefits for the environment and the economy." "An economic model is truly circular if it addresses the entire life cycle of resources, with genuine partnerships among the businesses involved and residents. It would go beyond merely managing the final stage of collecting waste that perhaps has been delivered to third parties," explained Stefano Venier, Chief Executive Officer of the Hera Group. "Hera is therefore committed not only to extending the life cycle of materials through recycling and reuse initiatives, but also to developing solutions and plants that can turn substances into new products or draw energy from them, especially within the bio-based supply chain. Our agreement with Eni continues in this direction. It has identified a new way in which we can use waste resources to contribute to decarbonisation and energy efficiency. Waste oil that becomes advanced biofuel with a reduced carbon footprint and is reused for waste collection is a perfect example of the circular economy, one that adds to the progress of the many initiatives we've already launched in this area." ENG_Eni_Hera_23_November_2018.1542978261.pdf 2018-11-23 13:00:00 Hera Spa 2018-11-23